Like many folks this time of year, I was attending high school graduation festivities last week. The speaker at one of the events quoted C.S. Lewis in his speech: I loved the endorsement to fall…the expectation that falling is necessary. What I particularly loved was how the student themselves reinforced this principal, unwittingly as they …
The richness of both/and living
Life would be easier and simpler (though not better) living in an “either/or” world, rather than a “both/and” world. I may fail often, but I choose, as much as possible, as a matter of personal policy, to choose, “both/and” living. Lemme explain. I used to work in a rehab clinic helping people figure out how …
Harder is Easier to Notice
I’m cross training for my part in the Manitoba Marathon relay…I’m taking my bike to work these days. Ok…I drove my bicycle yesterday and today…I realize that hardly makes it a habit…but a person has gotta start somewhere, right? On the way this morning, it was a tough slog to work. Although it was a …
Embracing the Stitch
Sometimes I forget that discomfort is not only to be tolerated, but can be embraced… I run. Not fast, not as regularly as I’d like, but I’ve been running for about 11 years. Gets me out in the sun, enjoying the beautiful outdoors, is healthy for my body, and good for my soul. But I’m …
Powerful Medicine
Would you be interested in an intervention that reduced anxiety by 48% in a meta-analysis, and with low dose gave relief to 30% on those with depression , and with an increased dose, that effect increased to 47%? That treatment is available to pretty much all of us…and there are further significant benefits from this …
What Forgiveness is…
Ever take a poorly trained labrador retriever for a walk? It’s tricky. and chaotic. and a little crazy…maybe even feeling a little dangerous. As a matter of fact…who’d you be kidding…it would be the dog taking YOU for a walk. The dog would decide how fast you’d go, when you’d stop, and how far off …
Listen to your Body
Sabrina Friesen, a therapist with us at Bergen and Associates, sent me a link this week to a blog entry that I found pretty cool…it said, in part: That’s when my body started talking to me. You’ve got to trust me. When I am hungry I will tell you. You’ll hear it in chambered echos, …
A Prayer of Disturbance
Disturb us, Lord, when We are too pleased with ourselves, When our dreams have come true Because we dreamed too little, When we arrived safely Because we sailed too close to the shore. Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess We have lost our thirst For the waters of life; Having …
Is Prayer Shameful?
I was listening to a this week’s show of DNTO (Definitely Not The Opera)—the focus of the show was on prayer. A dear friend had sent me the link…as a quirky, sometimes irrereverant variety of viewpoints on prayer. I listened to a variety of people being interviewed on how and when they pray and what …
A LIttle Beauty…A Little Perspective
I find myself going over to The United Kingdom’s The Guardian page of “24 Hours in Pictures” occasionally. The pictures are stunning…images captured within a specific day around the world. Some beautiful, some remarkable, some depicting bravery or courage or suffering. It reminds me of the global community, it helps me breath deeply and get …